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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915402">chasing down light in the indigo</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_blue_hightops/pseuds/sky_blue_hightops'>sky_blue_hightops</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sun and Moon AU [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Tangled (2010)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Black Rocks (Disney: Tangled), Gen, Moon Powers Varian (Disney), Protective Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Team Awesome (Disney: Tangled), sun and moon au</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:14:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,967</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915402</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sky_blue_hightops/pseuds/sky_blue_hightops</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Climbing down from the tower felt like taking in a deep breath of air.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Cassandra &amp; Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider (Disney), Cassandra &amp; Owl (Disney: Tangled), Cassandra &amp; Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider &amp; Varian, Pascal &amp; Rapunzel (Disney), Rapunzel &amp; Ruddiger (Disney), Rapunzel &amp; Varian (Disney)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Sun and Moon AU [22]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1823434</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>117</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>chasing down light in the indigo</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Climbing down from the tower felt like taking in a deep breath of air.</p>
<p>The second his boots touched the ground, the relief was near overwhelming. The dark shape that loomed over them - once innocent, nothing more than the girls’ childhood home - cast the meadow in a malicious shadow. That tower held years of isolation. Years of injustice.</p>
<p>But the light caught on something in the corner of his eye, and he turned to look. Both Cass and Rapunzel stood a few feet away, the latter’s fingers loosely curled around her sister’s wrist; both stared up at their childhood home with faces drawn in a complicated blend of grief and sentiment. The light had caught on the tears on Rapunzel’s cheeks. Suddenly, he couldn’t bear to watch them, their twin looks of vulnerability. That was something between them only they would ever share.</p>
<p>But he still knew what it was like to look back on a home that had trapped you, for better or worse<em>.</em> Eugene faltered, boots dragging in the grass. Varian. He <em>had</em> to find Varian. It had been far too long; they’d gotten caught up in the forest, in the city, in the tower-</p>
<p>But Rapunzel’s <em>parents</em>.</p>
<p>Rapunzel continued to gaze up at the tower, eyes wide in the dark. But Cass simply stared at <em>him</em>, understanding narrowing her eyes and drawing tight the line of her shoulders. “Go,” she stated. “I said you’d find him again, didn’t I?”</p>
<p>She looked exhausted, still shaken from the tower’s events, but there was a sternness that betrayed the shaking of her hands. Eugene wanted to leave immediately, had wanted to leave for Varian hours ago, but it wasn’t every day one managed to find a lost princess (it wasn’t every day one managed to learn <em>they are a lost princess</em>) and part of him couldn’t bring himself to leave them alone. Most of him itched to find his brother, though, and his protests were token at best. “What about-”</p>
<p>“-I’ll take her where she needs to be.” <em>What about you?</em> He wanted to ask. <em>Where do you need to be? </em>But one deep conversation was enough for them in as many days - probably; time felt hazy, detached - and he had <em>places </em>to be. <em>Right now</em>.</p>
<p>All the images - all the concern and worry - he’d been bottling up and shoving away the past few days came rushing back. He had no idea what had happened to his brother after the run in with the Stabbingtons; no clues except the black rocks sprouting in the dirt, achingly reminiscent of the castle. Had someone finally come to take them back, and had brought the rocks with them? Had they found Varian? Where had Varian holed away; had he tried to find Eugene?</p>
<p>He pictured Varian, alone. He couldn’t shake it. “I’ll see you later,” he promised, and then turned and didn’t look back.</p>
<hr/>
<p>“Raps,” she whispered. “We should go.”</p>
<p>Rapunzel blinked once, a storm brewing behind her eyes before she dipped her head and exhaled, sagging. Pascal patted her face, his worry obvious, but she barely leaned into the motion. “So much...has <em>happened</em>.” Her voice was taut, urgent, as if she needed to impress upon Cass how overwhelmed they both were. “Where do we start?”</p>
<p>“Your parents, probably.” The words dug like knives. <em>Rapunzel’s parents</em>. Cass should be happy - should be so elated that Raps had other parents, real and alive, ones that probably loved her unconditionally and would treat her far better than Mother had ever. But there would be no fairy tale ending like that for herself. After what she did?</p>
<p>No. After what she had to do.</p>
<p>But regardless - Mother was still <em>Mother</em> to Cassandra, still her flesh and blood. She didn’t want her story to end with Mother’s. She didn’t want to be left standing in the same meadow as the one where she had killed her own. The tremble in her hands refused to steady. Unshed tears burned the back of her throat. A sudden wave of fire rose in her, jealous and aching. How come Rapunzel had secret parents that probably loved her? An entire <em>country</em> that loved her and hadn’t even <em>met </em>her.</p>
<p>Soft hands gripped her own. “It’s okay, Cass. It’s gonna be okay.” Cass drew in a shuddering breath, squeezing back, content to focus on her sister’s warmth for a second and not her own turbulent emotions until Raps gasped and rocked forwards on her toes. “We have to go with Eugene, I need to warn him-”</p>
<p>“What?” An abrupt sinking feeling sucked the air from her lungs. “<em>Warn</em> him?”</p>
<p>“It’s his brother,” Rapunzel said, horrified. “The rocks - they’re from his brother. He <em>made</em> them. I didn’t tell him - Cass, I had to find you, I didn’t have a choice but he’s hurting so <em>badly </em>and we’ve got to find them now, we have to-”</p>
<p>“I…” Cass whirled around, but Eugene was long gone. She hadn’t even paid attention to the direction he’d torn off in, too busy feeling sorry for herself. Damnit. “...I don’t even know which way he went.”</p>
<p>The first real smile broke across Rapunzel’s face since the beginning of the night. “Oh, don’t worry about that,” she replied, grin widening. “Haven’t you heard? Raccoons have <em>fantastic</em> senses of smell.”</p>
<hr/>
<p>Eugene barreled through the undergrowth, ignoring the scratch of branches against his skin and the slap of leaves on his face. He was blind to anything else besides the rocks under his feet and sprouting at his sides - if anyone knew where Varian was, he’d put his gold on whoever had been sent from the Dark Kingdom to come get them. They’d likely had a few days head start on finding Varian - perhaps the news of his capture had clued in local agents under his father’s crown that his runaways had raised trouble in Corona proper? Who would it be?</p>
<p>He thought of having to face off against Quirin, or Adira or Hector, and frantically scrubbed away tears. He couldn’t miss them now. He <em>couldn’t</em>. If it was them he had to fight, he’d cross that bridge when he could do nothing but be dragged kicking and screaming to the other side.</p>
<p>He refocused. Either it was his imagination, or the rocks slanted sharper in his path. They grew darker, as if they were sucking in black and eating the moon’s light. Hungry, consuming. Predatory. He ran faster. He didn’t know who the prey was, not yet, and something told him he didn’t want to.</p>
<hr/>
<p>Cass groaned. Of <em>course</em> the little thing was gone.</p>
<p>Rapunzel turned over blankets, cringed when she raked her gaze over the rocks protrounding from the ground and stabbing through the camp. “He was here when we left, remember? I know he was!”</p>
<p>“It’s a raccoon, Raps, why would it stay? Probably smelled apples and went to find the source. All animals are the same, like that.” From the tree canopy, a shape sliced through the air to land painfully sharp on her shoulder. Cass supposed she deserved that, scratching the top of Owl’s head and deflecting his glare.</p>
<p>Rapunzel turned a glare of her own on Cassandra, worrying at her lip and scrunching her brow in that way that meant she refused to admit defeat. “He couldn’t have gotten far - maybe he got distracted by berries! Or lost in the dark. Owl, can you-”</p>
<p>The bird in question hooted loudly, wings fluttering as he hopped to land on a specific black rock. This one stood taller than the rest, wicked sharp, and when Rapunzel hovered her hand near it, it glowed faintly. “...Maybe this is our starting point?” She ventured weakly. Beyond it, more black rocks titled so dramatically they ran almost parallel to the ground. And in one direction - back towards the city.</p>
<p>Coincidence? Unlikely. Cass nodded, stepping forwards to run her fingers along the rock’s surface. No reaction. She wanted to feel relief, but instead the choking feeling in her throat returned with a vengeance. She swallowed it down and steeled her shoulders. “Let’s go get them,” she finally answered.</p>
<p>It made her uneasy, following yet another path laid out for them by forces they couldn’t control, but her concern won out over her fear. It was tough, letting herself admit she cared, but at this point even the dumb raccoon had wiggled his way in and refused to let go. Oh, great. That meant she really <em>did</em> have to follow through with the whole <em>saving their lives (maybe)</em> thing.</p>
<p>She sighed and held out an arm for Owl to perch on. “Onward we ride,” she muttered wryly to her ever-listening companion, before following Rapunzel into the bushes.</p>
<hr/>
<p>The rocks were <em>definitely</em> getting darker. The air thickened as he drew...closer? To whoever caused the rocks and channeled their magic. They must have alarming power, to be able to keep this up for so long. “Varian?” He hissed, hoping against hope for a quiet reply and a quick exit. The more distance between them and the wielder of the rocks, the sooner they were back with the girls, the better. “Blue, where’d you go?”</p>
<p>No response. Barely anything stirred in these parts of the woods, which was probably why he heard the faint commotion ahead of him so well. Voices? Deeper ones bit words he couldn’t make out, vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t place the sound until he heard the third voice - young, snarling and high with tension. <em>Varian</em>.</p>
<p>Fear jolted up his spine. His side ached suddenly. Just a few more trees - he could make out an open clearing up ahead, just a little further… Walking was so difficult, suddenly, and a fog crawled over his consciousness. He felt so weak. The rocks sucked the life from the air around him. He felt so <em>fragile</em>.</p>
<p>There was a song; it wove easily through the clouded air. He clawed at his throat, barked a rasping cough, and tripped forwards out of the tree line. “<em>Varian...</em>”</p>
<p>Ahead of him, pitch black hair. Two faces he’d never, ever wanted to see again. The moon, bright overhead. And a pair of black, black eyes, filled with tears, framed by a distraught face twisting to look back at him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It was quick work, following the haphazard trail of a disoriented raccoon. Cass ran a soothing hand across Owl’s back, only pausing when they approached the sound of nervous chittering.</p>
<p>Ahead of them, Ruddiger wobbled in unsteady circles. His back leg leaked red on the ground sluggishly, and Rapunzel knelt at his side with a gasp. “Ruddiger?” she tried, but either he didn’t recognize her or couldn’t make out her voice. He fit so easily in her arms, docile, that Cass didn’t even feel on edge at how physically close the (practically) unfamiliar animal was to her sister. Rapunzel’s quiet song, notes golden with confidence but slight all the same, only served to wear away more at Cass’s guard. “<em>Flower gleam and glow,</em>” she cooed, fingers rubbing the top of Ruddiger’s head. “<em>Let your power shine.</em>” Slowly, gently, his leg’s wound closed up. Slowly, gently, he pried open his eyes.</p>
<p>She leaned over him in her arms, hair draping around them and sealing them in their moment. “We’ve got to find them,” Rapunzel whispered. “You can help us.”</p>
<p>Ruddiger chirped urgently. Yes, yes he could. Yes, he would. He leaped once from her arms, paws scrabbling in the dirt, before sniffing anxiously towards the horizon and down a broken path leading away from the circlet of stones around them.</p>
<p>“They’re close,” Rapunzel said, and Cass startled when she realized those words had been trained directly on her. A faint yellow glow framed her glare. The loose hairs around her face bobbed in the wind, buoyant, and Raps frowned, eyes glazed and distant.</p>
<p>“<em>He’s close.</em>”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>it's been a bit haha oopsie</p>
<p>anyways a bit of a bridging piece!! confetti emoji here it is tada jazz hands</p></blockquote></div></div>
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